No Tour de France start in Berlin

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Berlin will not bid for the start of the Tour de France in the coming years, but may look at at a bid to host the track world championships. Economic reasons dictate the change in plans, according to the politicians involved.

Hosting the start of the Tour would coast about 10 million Euros, “a damned high sum of money,”  Berlin Sport minister Andreas Statzkowksi told the Tagesspiegel website. “We will dismiss that idea.”

The world championships would be much more affordable, only about 1.5 million Euro.  “We are considering whether we should bid for that,” he said.  The Berlin velodrome is an appropriate venue.

Such a world championship, which could take place in the next five to six years, would “also attract foreign guests, which is good for Berlin's image.”